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Army Specialist John Johnson

Army Sergeant John Johnson joined the military out of Richmond, Virginia in 2000 because he wanted to fulfill his family’s legacy of service to their country.

In 2003, while in Iraq, Sergeant Johnson volunteered for a mission to help occupy the Baghdad International Airport. After narrowly missing small arms fire multiple times, he was involved in an accident during the refueling of their vehicles, causing him to accidentally swallow jet fuel. This ingestion immediately poisoned his body, causing him to pass out and fall off his vehicle, injuring his head. He was later diagnosed with Chemical Pneumonia. His experiences while serving our country have left him with severe PTSD, among other injuries.

The years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq have brought PTSD among military personnel to the attention of the American people as never before. Most PTSD sufferers repeatedly relive the trauma in their thoughts during the day and in nightmares when they sleep. While the condition varies from person to person, more and more studies have linked PTSD with chronic depression and suicidal ideation. For his service to his country,